Name/Age: Justice - 2 y/o
Family Members: Carla & his (human) Grandmother, Helen.
How long has Justice been in the family? Since March 2022
Profession: His mama – Information Systems Application Analyst; His grandmother - Retired
Location: Lawrenceville, GA.
Nicknames: Jus, Jay, Bubba
5 words/phrases that best describe Justice:?
Goofball
Personal Space Invader
Lovable
Intelligent
Athletic
What makes Justice unique? He’s been doing some training in different dog sports and I’ve noticed he will not back down when learning something new that he might find a little scary or unsure of at first. He keeps going and seems determined to overcome it and learn it. Just one of the things I love about him.
Big Pibble Smile!
Rescue Story: My previous bully breed girl, Piper (April 1, 2017 SALA Volunteer), passed away the end of February 2022. Of course, I was devastated. She was such an amazing girl and I miss her so very much. I wasn’t sure if I should adopt another dog so soon, but I knew I was much better with a dog and Piper would want me to give another rescue a loving home. In September 2021, Bartow County Animal Control seized Justice (fka Marco) from his previous owner(s) due to “unsuitable accommodations” and those owners were cited. He was in the shelter for about one month before Furever Match Animal Rescue pulled him and fostered him until I adopted him in March 2022.
I changed his name from Marco to Justice when I adopted him because I was hoping he would be a sport dog. In the dog sport world, when your turn is coming up, they call the dog’s name, not the handler’s. So, if he did end up being a sport dog, I didn’t want to have to hear “Marco! … Polo!” every time his name was called. <hahaha> I chose Justice, because that’s what he deserves, and I will give that to him by making sure he lives his best life!!
Adoption Day!!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? About one month after adopting Justice, I found out he was heartworm positive during his first wellness visit with his vet. Because of that, we weren’t able to do a lot because I immediately put him on exercise restriction. Since we were limited in what we could do together, I started trick training. I’ve been having a blast doing this with him - seeing how smart he is and how eager he is to do them. I’m like a parent who sees her baby walk for the first time whenever Justice consistently does a trick.
What is life like since you rescued Justice? Well, as I stated, he was diagnosed with heartworms soon after adopting him. That was a new experience for me. We chose the fast kill method and followed the American Heartworm Society’s protocol. It broke my heart each time he had to go in for an injection and it was just another reminder of how he was mistreated prior to being picked up by animal control. It’s been great watching his personality come through, though. He wanted nothing to do with toys, but he absolutely loves them now. It’s been fun training him, too - he barely knew a sit when I adopted him. As for me, he’s teaching me patience and has forced me to approach training in a different manner because almost everything he seems to do is in beast mode, which, at times, can be challenging.
Social Media: Instagram @bigfanof_justice
Photographers Note: I am always pleased when I get a repeat volunteer. Although I would much prefer it be when a family is adding another dog versus losing one of their beloved family members. 5 years ago I met Carla and Piper, with Grandma Helen and am happy Carla decided to honor her by rescuing another dog. It would seem Justice has that same drive and desire to please as his predecessor Piper and I am sure he will do great things in the sporting world.. So many people think you need to have raised a dog from a puppy to be successful in many of these activities and Carla continues to prove those people wrong. I wouldn’t want you to think this silly boy is all business, cause he is not and definitely knows how to enjoy his new life with his family. You can see for him, everything is an adventure and he has never met a stranger. I just loved spending time with this handsome boy!